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Group of Arms Raising Drinks
Raise a glass in the name of Minnesota-made craft beverages.
We're rather famously provincial in our beverage laws. How long did it take to get Sunday Sales in Minnesota? Maybe the only thing worse than our weird clutching of Blue Laws (still can't buy a car on Sunday, chums), is the pervasive idea that it's an us vs. them proposition.
Sure, there are people who don't want to pass modern beverage laws, but I'm not sure what's worse, all the back biting and finger pointing or the dry glasses. We hear the Gov. can push through an executive order to fix it, we hear he can't. We hear that the cocktail to-go push was killed by the last minute beer amendment, we hear that no matter what there are people who won't give an inch out of loyalty to existing business and the three tier system, we hear that changes will put mom and pop liquor stores out of business. And we hear that there's some all powerful dude sitting in an office somewhere that is pulling the strings on all of this. It's enough to make you crack a beer.
Because of all of this, I welcome to the fight the Minnesota Craft Beverage Council. This is historic. This is the first time a collaborative group has rallied over 350 Minnesota wineries, breweries, distillers, and cideries to come together and get it all on the table, address the needs of all these small businesses and fight for modernization. Onward!
This week, they hope to introduce legislation called the Drink Local Economic Recovery Package. "We are not asking the government for more money, we are asking to be able to help ourselves and contribute to the economic recovery," Lauren Bennett McGinty, executive director of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild told me over the phone. "Growth creates growth and we are coming together to work with the government to have the greatest impact for these businesses." This isn't just about surviving the pandemic (though, that's key), this is about building a strong beverage community for years to come.
This is more than just fighting to get your bottled Old Fashioned with your takeout ravioli, this is about supporting the 6,000+ people who make their living in our local craft beverage industry. This is about Minnesota-made products that deserve our gumption. This is about moving forward without fear. This is BIG PICTURE STUFF!
Here's what's on the table:
- Remove beer production caps and allow all breweries to sell beer in vessels up to 64oz.
- Allow cideries to be taxed the same as beer and self-distribute their products to better compete in a crowded marketplace.
- Allow distilleries to sell to-go spirits in larger format bottles.
- Allow bars and restaurants to sell beer, wine, and cocktails to go.
- Allow bars, restaurants, and liquor stores to fill and sell growlers.
If you've heard about the alliance of craft breweries fighting to remove the growler cap, this legislation supports them. If you've signed a petition for cocktails to go, this legislation supports that. This is the one-stop-shop that is all in, they believe there is power in numbers. And it's not just the makers who have skin in this game.
Jon Halper of Top Ten Liquors, a locally owned and independent liquor store, supports this council. He sent me a note that read, "We deeply value our relationships with local craft brewers. Their continued success during and after the pandemic is important to us as a partner and as a Minnesota owned business. The success of these local businesses is a priority for Top Ten Liquors. We want to work to help them succeed, including supporting their efforts to sell their own product to their customers, either as cans, growlers or otherwise. The MN craft brew scene is more vibrant when we all work together and support each other." Yes, I will be buying my sportsball beer at Top Ten this weekend.
The immediate goal is to get the bill in front of lawmakers. "The first step is getting the bill into committee, so that we can start the conversation. Then of course we need them to vote yes," McGinty said, "but we have to start by being in the same room."
And this is where you come in. Sign this petition and be vocal about your support for the industry, commit to asking your representatives for modernization of our Minnesota beverage laws. They need to see OVERWHELMING public support for this measure. Now is the time.
Fight for the industry that has been hit hardest by the pandemic, and just wants to come back swinging.
